How Much Proficiency Is Enough?

I had my Bonanza set up perfectly for the straight-in ILS Runway 22 approach at Malabo, Equatorial Guinea (FGSL), following a short, 63-nm flight across the Bight of Biafra from Douala, Cameroon (FKKD). It was actually a rare clear day near the equator and I could easily see the nearly 10,000 foot Pico de Basile only 10 miles south of Malabo, certainly a potential terrain hazard to be managed if it had been actual instrument conditions and I had been concerned about the missed approach. That would be one of many risks to be managed in this environment.

Robert Wright

Wednesday, June 18, 2014 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

General aviation pilots, especially those with low flight activity, must differentiate between merely meeting regulatory "currency" and maintaining true "proficiency" for safe and efficient operations across varied conditions.
A pilot's required proficiency level is influenced by factors such as flight frequency, the purpose of the flight (e.g., business vs. recreation), and the complexity of the aircraft and its advanced avionics.
Pilots should proactively assess their readiness using risk management frameworks (like PAVE) and implement strategies such as regular training, simulator use, and setting personal minimums to ensure they are proficient, not just current.

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Actually, only a small part of this is true. I was actually “flying” an advanced aviation training device (AATD) to try and recapture some of my instrument proficiency. I’ll explain more about the AATD in the sidebar on page 7, but what I was really doing was some research for my just-released historical novel Valhalla Revealed. Along the way, I recalled a few things about simulators, got to check out some amazing scenery and came away feeling a lot more proficient on the gauges. That’s a good thing, because my flying activity has changed in the last few months, and I’m not as active a pilot as I was even a year ago. Within my lack of recent experience—especially with modern GPS navigators—lies a tale similar to that of many other pilots.